Tim and Abbey Bowers had been together for about three years and were married in August. She understood his decision, she said, 'but I was devastated because I didn't have much time with him.'

Written by

Ryan Sabalow and Kristine Guerra
ryan.sabalow@indystar.com

It started out as a typical fall Saturday afternoon inside Abbey and Tim Bowers' home. The newlyweds kicked back and watched some TV before he said goodbye. As he so often did this time of year, he was going hunting. He'd be home a little after dark. Hopefully, with a nice buck.

Just hours later, Tim woke up in the hospital. He couldn't move. His family told him they'd asked the doctors to bring him out of a drug-induced coma. They had terrible news - and a horrific question to ask.

He had fallen 16 feet as he was climbing to his tree stand, and he had shattered his spine. He likely would spend the rest of his ...